Hurricane Sandy May Lift Home Depot, Lowe's

The historic hurricane is profoundly disrupting business and transportation along the east coast. Amid large-scale evacuations and widespread closings, people are frantically stocking up on necessities.

While Hurricane Sandy is likely to wallop millions of Americans, the so-called "Frankenstorm" could benefit home improvement retailers Home Depot and Lowe's.

Consumers flocked to stores in search of batteries, generators, plywood and other building materials in advance of the storm. But the retailers should also benefit from the eventual clean up and repair work once Sandy has run its course.